Papa John’s Founder Claims Pizza is Good for You

Eat some pizza! It's good for you! Or at least....that's what Papa John's says.

First the government claimed that pizza was a vegetable. Now it seems that Papa John’s is backing up the healthy pizza claim. In an interview with Inc. Magazine about his company’s fair wage policies after considerable backlash, Papa John’s CEO and founder John Schnatter not only claims that his workers receive far above minimum wage, but here’s the kicker: he said that his pizza is actually nutritious.

“We don’t promote or advocate people eating a whole pizza,” Schnatter said in the video. “Pizza’s really nutritious. It’s good for you.”

Schnatter said it’s all about balance. He wouldn’t recommend eating a whole pizza in one sitting, just as much as someone wouldn’t eat a whole carton of eggs in one sitting. The difference is that one slice of Papa John’s cheese pizza comes to 300 calories. You could have a four-egg omelet for almost the same amount of calories, and still not even come close to the sodium count. One slice of Papa John’s, in case you were wondering, contains one-third of your sodium for the day.

So, can pizza actually be healthy? Papa John’s may be on to something, but only if you forgo the fast food pizza joints with the cheesy crust slices, and try out The Daily Meal’s recipe for healthy pizza, featuring a whole grain crust, low-fat cheese, and veggie toppings.

Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi